diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9c51d709c..e2c080ff1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -49,5 +49,5 @@ demo/viewer/release/
 demo/viewer/ui_about.h
 demo/viewer/ui_info.h
 demo/viewer/ui_layer_info.h
-tests/cpp_tests/*-bin
-tests/cxx/run
+test/standalone/*-bin
+test/unit/run
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 326616d7a..c94020792 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -59,18 +59,12 @@ uninstall:
 	@$(PYTHON) scons/scons.py -j$(JOBS) --config=cache --implicit-cache --max-drift=1 uninstall
 
 test:
-	./run_tests
+	@source localize.sh && ./test/unit/run && \
+	for FILE in test/standalone/*-bin; do \
+		$${FILE}; \
+	done; 
 
-test-local:
-	make test
-
-test-cpp:
-	./tests/cpp_tests/run
-
-test-cxx:
-	./tests/cxx/run
-
-check: test-local
+check: test
 
 bench:
 	./benchmark/run
@@ -86,9 +80,10 @@ pep8:
 	@pep8 -r --select=W391 -q --filename=*.py `pwd`/tests/ | xargs ged -i '/./,/^$$/!d'
 
 grind:
-	@for FILE in tests/cpp_tests/*-bin; do \
+	@for FILE in test/standalone/*-bin; do \
 		valgrind --leak-check=full --log-fd=1 $${FILE} | grep definitely; \
 	done
+	valgrind --leak-check=full --log-fd=1 ./test/unit/run | grep definitely
 
 render:
 	@for FILE in tests/data/good_maps/*xml; do \
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 7ae42e5c2..e54fce9c1 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1950,7 +1950,7 @@ if not HELP_REQUESTED:
     SConscript('fonts/build.py')
 
     # build C++ tests
-    SConscript('tests/cxx/build.py')
+    SConscript('test/build.py')
 
     if env['BENCHMARK']:
         SConscript('benchmark/build.py')
diff --git a/run_tests b/run_tests
deleted file mode 100755
index 51d9ccf36..000000000
--- a/run_tests
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-failures=0
-
-source ./localize.sh
-
-echo "*** Running C++ tests..."
-./tests/cxx/run
-failures=$((failures+$?))
-echo
-
-exit $failures
diff --git a/tests/cxx/build.py b/test/build.py
similarity index 54%
rename from tests/cxx/build.py
rename to test/build.py
index 6626f03c4..ec6dce5b3 100644
--- a/tests/cxx/build.py
+++ b/test/build.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Import ('env')
 test_env = env.Clone()
 
 if not env['CPP_TESTS']:
-    for cpp_test_bin in glob.glob('*-bin'):
+    for cpp_test_bin in glob.glob('./*/*-bin'):
         os.unlink(cpp_test_bin)
 else:
     test_env['LIBS'] = [env['MAPNIK_NAME']]
@@ -22,11 +22,23 @@ else:
     if test_env['HAS_CAIRO']:
         test_env.PrependUnique(CPPPATH=test_env['CAIRO_CPPPATHS'])
         test_env.Append(CPPDEFINES = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
+    test_env.PrependUnique(CPPPATH=['./'])
     test_env_local = test_env.Clone()
-    test_program = test_env_local.Program("run", source=glob.glob('*.cpp'))
-    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../../src/%s' % env['MAPNIK_LIB_NAME']))
-    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../../src/json/libmapnik-json${LIBSUFFIX}'))
-    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../../src/wkt/libmapnik-wkt${LIBSUFFIX}'))
+
+
+    # unit tests
+    sources = glob.glob('./unit/*/*.cpp')
+    sources.extend(glob.glob('./unit/*.cpp'))
+    test_program = test_env_local.Program("./unit/run", source=sources)
+    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../src/%s' % env['MAPNIK_LIB_NAME']))
+    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../src/json/libmapnik-json${LIBSUFFIX}'))
+    Depends(test_program, env.subst('../src/wkt/libmapnik-wkt${LIBSUFFIX}'))
+
+    # standalone tests
+    for standalone in glob.glob('./standalone/*cpp'):
+        test_program = test_env_local.Program(standalone.replace('.cpp','-bin'), source=standalone)
+        Depends(test_program, env.subst('../src/%s' % env['MAPNIK_LIB_NAME']))
+
     # build locally if installing
     if 'install' in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
         env.Alias('install',test_program)
diff --git a/tests/cxx/catch.hpp b/test/catch.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/catch.hpp
rename to test/catch.hpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/font_registration_test.cpp b/test/standalone/font_registration_test.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from tests/cxx/font_registration_test.cpp
rename to test/standalone/font_registration_test.cpp
index d39837f77..a876c6a17 100644
--- a/tests/cxx/font_registration_test.cpp
+++ b/test/standalone/font_registration_test.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#define CATCH_CONFIG_MAIN
 #include "catch.hpp"
 
 #include <mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp>
@@ -18,8 +19,6 @@ SECTION("registration") {
         mapnik::logger logger;
         mapnik::logger::severity_type original_severity = logger.get_severity();
 
-
-
         // grab references to global statics of registered/cached fonts
         auto const& global_mapping = mapnik::freetype_engine::get_mapping();
         auto const& global_cache = mapnik::freetype_engine::get_cache();
diff --git a/test/unit/README.md b/test/unit/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d446edec0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+
+## C++ unit tests
+
+### Building
+
+    python scons/scons.py test/unit/run
+
+
+### Running
+
+    ./test/unit/run
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cxx/conversions_test.cpp b/test/unit/core/conversions_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/conversions_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/core/conversions_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/copy_move_test.cpp b/test/unit/core/copy_move_test.cpp
similarity index 98%
rename from tests/cxx/copy_move_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/core/copy_move_test.cpp
index 38d23d2eb..3b38ae76c 100644
--- a/tests/cxx/copy_move_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/core/copy_move_test.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ SECTION("layers") {
 
         auto ds1 = ds0; // shared ptr copy
         REQUIRE( (ds1 == ds0) );
-        REQUIRE( (*ds1 != *ds0) );
+        REQUIRE( !(*ds1 != *ds0) );
         REQUIRE( (ds1.get() == ds0.get()) );
         ds1 = mapnik::datasource_cache::instance().create(p); // new with the same parameters
         REQUIRE( (ds1 != ds0) );
diff --git a/tests/cxx/exceptions_test.cpp b/test/unit/core/exceptions_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/exceptions_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/core/exceptions_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/map_request_test.cpp b/test/unit/core/map_request_test.cpp
similarity index 54%
rename from tests/cxx/map_request_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/core/map_request_test.cpp
index 59b6033ac..202514d77 100644
--- a/tests/cxx/map_request_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/core/map_request_test.cpp
@@ -20,49 +20,10 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 
-bool compare_images(std::string const& src_fn,std::string const& dest_fn)
-{
-    using namespace mapnik;
-    std::unique_ptr<mapnik::image_reader> reader1(mapnik::get_image_reader(dest_fn,"png"));
-    if (!reader1.get())
-    {
-        throw mapnik::image_reader_exception("Failed to load: " + dest_fn);
-    }
-    std::shared_ptr<image_rgba8> image_ptr1 = std::make_shared<image_rgba8>(reader1->width(),reader1->height());
-    reader1->read(0,0,*image_ptr1);
-
-    std::unique_ptr<mapnik::image_reader> reader2(mapnik::get_image_reader(src_fn,"png"));
-    if (!reader2.get())
-    {
-        throw mapnik::image_reader_exception("Failed to load: " + src_fn);
-    }
-    std::shared_ptr<image_rgba8> image_ptr2 = std::make_shared<image_rgba8>(reader2->width(),reader2->height());
-    reader2->read(0,0,*image_ptr2);
-
-    image_rgba8 const& dest = *image_ptr1;
-    image_rgba8 const& src = *image_ptr2;
-
-    unsigned int width = src.width();
-    unsigned int height = src.height();
-    if ((width != dest.width()) || height != dest.height()) return false;
-    for (unsigned int y = 0; y < height; ++y)
-    {
-        const unsigned int* row_from = src.getRow(y);
-        const unsigned int* row_to = dest.getRow(y);
-        for (unsigned int x = 0; x < width; ++x)
-        {
-            if (row_from[x] != row_to[x]) return false;
-        }
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
 TEST_CASE("mapnik::request") {
 
 SECTION("rendering") {
 
-    std::string expected("./tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected.png");
-    std::string expected_cairo("./tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected-cairo.png");
     try {
 
         mapnik::datasource_cache::instance().register_datasources("plugins/input/csv.input");
@@ -76,12 +37,6 @@ SECTION("rendering") {
         // render normally with apply() and just map and image
         mapnik::agg_renderer<mapnik::image_rgba8> renderer1(m,im,scale_factor);
         renderer1.apply();
-        std::string actual1("/tmp/map-request-marker-text-line-actual1.png");
-        //mapnik::save_to_file(im,expected);
-        mapnik::save_to_file(im,actual1);
-        // TODO - re-enable if we can control the freetype/cairo versions used
-        // https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/1868
-        //REQUIRE(compare_images(actual1,expected));
 
         // reset image
         mapnik::fill(im, 0);
@@ -94,11 +49,6 @@ SECTION("rendering") {
         mapnik::attributes vars;
         mapnik::agg_renderer<mapnik::image_rgba8> renderer2(m,req,vars,im,scale_factor);
         renderer2.apply();
-        std::string actual2("/tmp/map-request-marker-text-line-actual2.png");
-        mapnik::save_to_file(im,actual2);
-        // TODO - re-enable if we can control the freetype/cairo versions used
-        // https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/1868
-        //REQUIRE(compare_images(actual2,expected));
 
         // reset image
         mapnik::fill(im, 0);
@@ -128,11 +78,6 @@ SECTION("rendering") {
             }
         }
         renderer3.end_map_processing(m);
-        std::string actual3("/tmp/map-request-marker-text-line-actual3.png");
-        mapnik::save_to_file(im,actual3);
-        // TODO - re-enable if we can control the freetype/cairo versions used
-        // https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/1868
-        //REQUIRE(compare_images(actual3,expected));
 
         // also test cairo
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
@@ -143,11 +88,9 @@ SECTION("rendering") {
         mapnik::cairo_renderer<mapnik::cairo_ptr> png_render(m,req,vars,image_context,scale_factor);
         png_render.apply();
         //cairo_surface_write_to_png(&*image_surface, expected_cairo.c_str());
-        std::string actual_cairo("/tmp/map-request-marker-text-line-actual4.png");
-        cairo_surface_write_to_png(&*image_surface, actual_cairo.c_str());
-        // TODO - re-enable if we can control the freetype/cairo versions used
-        // https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/1868
-        //REQUIRE(compare_images(actual_cairo,expected_cairo));
+        //std::string actual_cairo("/tmp/map-request-marker-text-line-actual4.png");
+        //cairo_surface_write_to_png(&*image_surface, actual_cairo.c_str());
+        // TODO - non visual way to test
 #endif
         // TODO - test grid_renderer
 
diff --git a/tests/cxx/params_test.cpp b/test/unit/core/params_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/params_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/core/params_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/datasources.cpp b/test/unit/datasource/datasources.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/datasources.cpp
rename to test/unit/datasource/datasources.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/fontset_runtime_test.cpp b/test/unit/font/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/font/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_converters_test.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_converters_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_converters_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_converters_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_envelope_test.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_envelope_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_envelope_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_envelope_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_equal.hpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_equal.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_equal.hpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_equal.hpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_hit_test.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_hit_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_hit_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_hit_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_is_valid.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_is_valid.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_is_valid.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_is_valid.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_reprojection.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_reprojection.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_reprojection.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_reprojection.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/geometry_strategy_test.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/geometry_strategy_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/geometry_strategy_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/geometry_strategy_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/label_algo_test.cpp b/test/unit/geometry/label_algo_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/label_algo_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/geometry/label_algo_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/image_io_test.cpp b/test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/image_io_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/image_painted_test.cpp b/test/unit/imaging/image_painted_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/image_painted_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/imaging/image_painted_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/tiff_io.cpp b/test/unit/imaging/tiff_io.cpp
similarity index 99%
rename from tests/cxx/tiff_io.cpp
rename to test/unit/imaging/tiff_io.cpp
index 7f7d798d1..46cf4245f 100644
--- a/tests/cxx/tiff_io.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/imaging/tiff_io.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <mapnik/util/file_io.hpp>
 
 #include <mapnik/tiff_io.hpp>
-#include "../../src/tiff_reader.cpp"
+#include "../../../src/tiff_reader.cpp"
 
 #define TIFF_ASSERT(filename) \
     mapnik::tiff_reader<boost::iostreams::file_source> tiff_reader(filename); \
diff --git a/tests/cxx/agg_blend_src_over_test.cpp b/test/unit/pixel/agg_blend_src_over_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/agg_blend_src_over_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/pixel/agg_blend_src_over_test.cpp
diff --git a/test/unit/run.cpp b/test/unit/run.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..613c3adb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/run.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#define CATCH_CONFIG_RUNNER
+#include "catch.hpp"
+
+#include <libxml/parser.h> // for xmlInitParser(), xmlCleanupParser()
+
+int main (int argc, char* const argv[])
+{
+    int result = Catch::Session().run( argc, argv );
+    if (!result) printf("\x1b[1;32m ✓ \x1b[0m\n");
+
+    // only call this once, on exit
+    // to make sure valgrind output is clean
+    // http://xmlsoft.org/xmlmem.html
+    xmlCleanupParser();
+
+    return result;
+}
diff --git a/tests/cxx/wkb_formats_test.cpp b/test/unit/serialization/wkb_formats_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/wkb_formats_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/serialization/wkb_formats_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/sql_parse.cpp b/test/unit/sql/sql_parse.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/sql_parse.cpp
rename to test/unit/sql/sql_parse.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/symbolizer_test.cpp b/test/unit/symbolizer/symbolizer_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/symbolizer_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/symbolizer/symbolizer_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/valgrind.supp b/test/unit/valgrind.supp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/valgrind.supp
rename to test/unit/valgrind.supp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/clipping_test.cpp b/test/unit/vertex_adapter/clipping_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/clipping_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/vertex_adapter/clipping_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/line_offset_test.cpp b/test/unit/vertex_adapter/line_offset_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/line_offset_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/vertex_adapter/line_offset_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/simplify_converters_test.cpp b/test/unit/vertex_adapter/simplify_converters_test.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/simplify_converters_test.cpp
rename to test/unit/vertex_adapter/simplify_converters_test.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cxx/vertex_adapter.cpp b/test/unit/vertex_adapter/vertex_adapter.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/cxx/vertex_adapter.cpp
rename to test/unit/vertex_adapter/vertex_adapter.cpp
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected-cairo.png b/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected-cairo.png
deleted file mode 100644
index cb8e47826..000000000
Binary files a/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected-cairo.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected.png b/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected.png
deleted file mode 100644
index 9de752a29..000000000
Binary files a/tests/cpp_tests/support/map-request-marker-text-line-expected.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/tests/cxx/README.md b/tests/cxx/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 273cade25..000000000
--- a/tests/cxx/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-
-Catch C++ tests
-
-### Building
-
-    python scons/scons.py tests/cxx/run
-
-
-### Running
-
-    ./tests/cxx/run
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cxx/test_main.cpp b/tests/cxx/test_main.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 0c7c351f4..000000000
--- a/tests/cxx/test_main.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-#define CATCH_CONFIG_MAIN
-#include "catch.hpp"